Maxon's OD-9 Creamdrive gives the Tube Screamer a limited-edition makeover

Maxon's new OD-9 Creamdrive pedal
(Image credit: Maxon)

Last year, Maxon unveiled the OD-9 Blackdrive, a limited-edition version of one of the Japanese company's most popular overdrive pedals housed in a semi-gloss black enclosure.

The offering proved to be so popular that the firm has now introduced another limited-edition, new-look version of the Tube Screamer clone, the Creamdrive.

Just as was the case on the Blackdrive, the OD-9 Creamdrive features all the charms and functionality of the green machine, but in a different-colored – white in this case – enclosure.

That means the familiar lineup of Drive, Tone and Level controls, true bypass switching, and, most importantly, the JRC4558 IC chip that gives the pedal its trademark snarl.

The OD-9 is designed to produce a touch more gain, bite and output than its sibling in the Maxon lineup, the OD808. 

Given that Maxon's parent company, Nisshin, also developed the original Tube Screamer circuit and pedal for Ibanez in the '70s, Maxon's TS-style pedals are essentially as close as you can get to a TubeScreamer without buying an actual Ibanez.

The Maxon OD-9 Creamdrive is available now – exclusively in Europe – for £/€129 (~$140). The pedal is built in Japan, and runs on 9 - 18 V power or a 9V battery.

For more info on the pedal, stop by Maxon.

Jackson Maxwell

Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.